Washer for small articles



Jan. 22, 1963 G. F. FARMER 3,

' WASHER FOR SMALL ARTICLES Filed Sept. 15, 1960 INVENTOR GUY F. FARMER fi rates 3,074,263 WAHER FQR SMALL ARTECLES Guy F. Farmer, RU. Box 225, Blaclrshear, Ga. Filed Sept. 13, 1960, Ser. No. 55,780 4 Ciaims. (Cl. 68-213) This invention relates to the laundering or washing of commodities including wearing apparel and the like, and to apparatus employing means for performing the laundering or washing operation.

The invention relates particularly to the laundering of delicate fabrics such as hose, feminine undergarments, and the like of silk, nylon, or other materials, and which it is desirable to launder apart from coarser articles frequently and with great care due to the delicacy of the same.

It is customary to launder ladies hose and dainty articles of apparel by hand. This is unsatisfactory since it requires a container for the laundering fluid, is time consuming, subjects the hands to the harsh action of the detergent, and sometimes results in damage to the articles being laundered.

It is an object of the invention to provide a miniature laundering device or implement capable of holding a couple of pairs of hose or other objects especially of delicate fabric and of a corresponding relatively small bulk or mass, and which device not only is capable of receiving and retaining the laundering fluid or cleaning agent, but is provided with agitating means for facilitating intimate contact between the cleaning fluid and the articles being laundered.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple inexpensive miniature device of a yieldable plastic of two telescopic sections capable of being assembled to provide a closed watertight container for articles to be laundered and for the laundering fluid, and which container is provided with means for producing intimate contact between the laundering fluid and the articles laundered.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relatively small compact device of simple and inexpensive character, which can be held in the hand, carried in a traveling bag, and which can be easily employed for laundering fabrics including those of a delicate character, and which device can be readily cleaned, dried and stored.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

PEG. 1 is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged perspective of the device per se;

FIG. 3, a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4, a transverse section on line 44 of FIG. 3.

Briefly stated, the present invention is a miniature Washing machine, generally barrel shaped, and centrally and transversely divided to form a pair of generally frusto-conical cup-like containers having smaller closed ends and larger open ends of yieldable plastic with such cup-like containers having their larger ends constructed so that they can be telescoped to provide a tight compartment for hose or the like to be laundered as well as for the laundering fluid with or Without a drop or more of detergent. Also the containers may be provided, as for example, at their closed ends, with surfaces of a character to provide agitating means to facilitate intimate contact between the laundering fluid and the articles being laundered.

With continued reference to the drawing the device of the present invention comprises a miniature washing machine formed of a pair of generally frusto-conical cup- 3,074,263 Patented Jan. 22, 1953 like containers 10 and 11 of generally similar character and composed of any desired material such as polyethylene and preferably in pastel colors such as pale pink, yellow, blue and green which appeal to feminine vanity and the walls of the container are of substantially uniform thickness throughout.

The cup-like containers 1t? and 11 have ends 12 and 13 closed with such ends extended inwardly and provided with radial agitator ribs 14 and 15 for causing intimate contact between articles being laundered and laundering fluid, the idea being to produce maximum agitation of the miniature washing machine with the liquid contained and caused by the movement of the washing machine relative to the contained fluid and the articles being washed which incidentally is substantially the opposite of that of a conventional washing machine in which the machine and the washing solution are stationary while the solution and clothes are agitated.

The cup-like casings 10 and 11 are preferably of less diameter at their closed ends for maximum internal capacity for the size, and in order to connect the same the larger ends are provided with complementary annular internal tongue and groove members. The larger of the cup-like casings 11 is provided with a channel 17 having a central annular groove 18, such channel 17 terminating in a shoulder 19 and a free reduced end 20.

The cup-like container 11 is complementarily formed with an annular reduced extension or sleeve 21 terminating in a relatively thin extremity 22, an annular tongue 23 and a shoulder 24. The tongue 23 is adapted to be received within the groove 18 with the reduced extremity 22 abutting the shoulder 19 and the reduced extremity 2t) abutting the shoulder 24 the thinner portions of the extremities of the cup-like containers permit the interfitting of the parts which form the joint thus described and if there should be any looseness through which water might flow the ends may be pressed slightly toward each other as they are held between the hands during the shaking of the washing machine.

In the use of the washing machine hose or other preferably dainty articles 25 are placed in one of the cup like containers substantially filled with a solution of water 2-6 and a drop of detergent or washing fluid whereupon the other cup-like container is placed thereupon and the parts are forced toward each other to cause coupling action. After the parts are coupled the washing implement can be moved endwise between the palms of the hands or while held in the hands giving a motion similar to that of the mixing of drinks for a dozen or more times whereupon the cleaning will be adaquate and the parts can be separated and the washed articles removed and suitably dried with, if desired, the semicircular cup-like containers 10 and 11 inserted within hose to hold same expanded while such hose are suspended from their tops on a line of the support.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shaker type device for laundering fabrics of the general nature of ladies hose or other articles of relatively small bulk comprising a pair of generally frustoconical containers open at the large end and closed at the smaller, said containers being formed of pliable plastic with the smaller closed ends extending axially inward and provided with generally radial ribs, the larger ends of said containers each being provided with interfitting portions with a shoulder at the base of each end with a rib extending around one of the interfitting portions and receivable in a groove in the other interfitting portion whereby said container may be fitted together and interlockingly utilized in a manner to retain laundering solution with articles to be laundered, said containers having relatively thin walls of substantially uniform thickness throughout and having external ribs for facilitating the gripping of the same.

2. A shaker for laundering fabrics or similar articles comprising a pair of generally frustum-shaped containers of pliable plastic, said containers having open larger ends and closed smaller ends, said smaller ends extending axially inward and provided with interiorly projected radially disposed ribs, the larger ends of said containers being provided with interfitting portions with a shoulder at the base thereof, a rib extended around one of the interfitted portions and receivable in a groove in the other interfitted portion whereby fitted containers may be interlockingly fitted together and utilized to retain laundering solution and articles to be laundered.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which the walls of the containers are of substantially uniform thickness throughout.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which there are external ribs on the walls of the containers to facilitate gripping of the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,618,143 McConaughy Nov. 18, 1952 2,718,980 Strorn Sept. 27, 1955 2,849,144 Southwell Aug. 26, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 525,505 Canada n May 29, 1956 854,941 Germany Nov. 10, 1952 

2. A SHAKER FOR LAUNERING FABRICS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES COMPRISING A PAIR OF GENERALLY FRUSTUM-SHAPED CONTAINERS OF PLIABLE PLASTIC, SAID CONTAINERS HAVING OPEN LARGER ENDS AND CLOSED SMALLER ENDS, SAID SMALLER ENDS EXTENDING AXIALLY INWARD AND PROVIDED WITH INTERIORLY PROJECTED RADIALLY DISPOSED RIBS, THE LARGER ENDS OF SAID CONTAINERS BEING PROVIDED WITH INTERFITTING PORTIONS WITH A SHOULDER AT THE BASE THEREOF, A RIB EXTENDED AROUND ONE OF THE INTERFITTED PORTIONS AND RECEIVABLE IN A GROOVE IN THE OTHER INTERFITTED PORTION WHEREBY FITTED CONTAINERS MAY BE INTERLOCKING FITTED TOGETHER AND UTILIZED TO RETAIN LAUNDERING SOLUTION AND ARTICLES TO BE LAUNDERED. 